FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ It's not terribly long, once everything has been found, before Davy Jones heads out to round you all up once more and take you into the theatre. At least plenty of you are around the same area, so it probably doesn't take terribly long.

The ride down to the trial room is the same as ever - a blast of the organ, a slow descent. It's really starting to become clear, though, just how your numbers are decreasing. You're already down three, counting the absence of Chloe, potentially more when you come back up.

The crew of the Dutchman is singing as Jones lets you out into the trial room. ]

To business, passengers. I am about if you need guidance.

[ The circle of podiums is less populated than ever. So many of you are islands now, so to speak.

The song dies down, the waters quiet.

Welcome to your fifth trial.. ]

Comments

[scouserer]

[Constantine raises an eyebrow.]

What do you mean by that?

cw: child abuse

[dokkalfheimr]

She wasn't always one of the álfar.

[...Yeah.]

I found her during an unfortunate time for the álfar; we were dying out. So my brother and I... We found children. Mortals that no one would miss. Plumeria's mother had abandoned her and left her to die, so I brought her to Álfheimr and made her one of our own.

It did give her magic, and several of our traits. But she was human, before all this, and she remained physically so for the most part.

cw: child abuse

[sivard]

...Oh. That's horrible.

Theodora and I did similar, taking in orphans.

cw: child abuse

[dokkalfheimr]

She was left to die at the bottom of a well.

[She's gripping her podium rather hard.]

...If I tell you something, do you promise not to think badly of her?

cw: child abuse

[sivard]

Of course I won't.

[dokkalfheimr]

Everyone has been talking about Decus trying to fulfill the motive.

I think Plumeria would have tried as well, and the longer we talk about this, the more I find it likely that she did.

[scouserer]

[Constantine pauses.]

Did she share with you what was placed on her device following the motive?

[dokkalfheimr]

Yes.

It was an image of... Of all six of us. Of Freyr, and myself, and our respective retainers. It was posed in the way that a family portrait would be.

She was extremely upset by it. She came to see me in my room on Tuesday night, she was completely distraught.

[scouserer]

[Constantine pauses.]

If it were the case that they attacked each other, then that would be one explanation their respective wounds. They could've definitely tried to go at each other.

[....]

But didn't it also look like her body was laid back? Someone else must've come in and helped reposition her.

[dokkalfheimr]

[She doesn't seem to have an answer for that; she just shakes her head like she was during the investigation, the movement strange and repetitive. Like she's trying to calm herself.]

I should have... I should have said something to her. To stop her. I should have...

[sivard]

It's not... it's not your fault.

[sivard]

[...Ah.]

...I see.

Do you think we're still looking for a third party, then? Someone who...

[This is awful all around.]

[jibunwo]

...She was always so insistent on not believing in anything the Captain was trying to sell us. I don't-...

[Zero faltered if only for a moment, quickly clearing his throat and straightening up.]

I remember seeing her distressed over the motive. More so than usual.

[scythegun]

[...]

Let's see how things fit together if we take that into consideration. Maybe things will make more sense if Plumeria was the instigator in all of this.

[He doesn't like it, but we can't really afford to turn a blind eye to that possibility.]

[jibunwo]

Yes. Let's just...start over.

[He's Fine.]

[scouserer]

[Constantine allows that information to sink in. His grim expression seems set into his face.]

...So she was susceptible to anything an ordinary human would be.

[He pauses, rubbing his chin.]

At least that gives us some more information. I appreciate it.

[silentscout]

[He hears this, and there's a flash of recognition in his eyes.]

When I told her about my world's version of Freyja, I told her about the legend of how she claims the souls of half of those who fall in battle to make into her soldiers.

[It's probably not relevant to the trial, but Lalli's face is falling a bit as he realizes the connection there.]

[dokkalfheimr]

[...Huh.]

The realm of the dead is Hel's domain for us. I have no say over what happens to the dead, nor do I see what that has to do with this.

[silentscout]

Freyja and Odin only that half each of those who die in combat. Everyone else goes to Hel. ...I think.

[Not his religion, but he's trying to remember what little bit he's learned by osmosis.]